What I have learned so far…

When I told my husband the topic of my next blog “10 Tips for Travelling with Teenagers”, he had one piece of advice, “don’t do it!”. Over the last five years, we have gone on several family road trips: Florida (twice), Canadian East Coast and even a 2 week road trip through France, Switzerland and Italy. We truly are “the Griswold’s”‘ as these trips entail piling 3 kids into a Grand Caravan and driving 5,000 km. Not everyone’s idea of fun. I should probably start calling my husband Clark, as he even has a passion for huge Christmas trees, but i digress (more on that topic in December).

A few weeks ago, my daughter moved out. I tell myself “it’s a good thing” watching my child go off to college. But i can’t say it has felt that way every day.

Bottom line…I miss her.

But, one thing I have learned is that life is about transitions. That is what is amazing about being a parent, isn’t it? The joy of witnessing our kids learning and growing.

When they are babies and toddlers, every day is a new milestone; sleeping through the night, first words, walking, running, first day of preschool. We witness miracles right in front of our eyes. As they age into the teen years, it can get difficult, as they begin to flex their wings and take on their new-found independence. We forget, as parents, that this is supposed to happen. I think we forget, as the milestones can be uncomfortable; staying out too late, risk taking behaviour and those dreaded words “I hate you”. But what we need to remember during those challenging teen years, is that it ends. They make it through the teen years and somehow on the “other side” they start to become responsible, independent adults…and they begin to appreciate their parents once again.

This is where I am at with my daughter. I am just not around everyday to see the new milestones.